by K. C. Lynn
Cade keeps his stance relaxed when I know he is feeling anything but. “She is not apologizing to him. She defended herself and your kid has had this coming for a long time…”
“She broke his nose! The girl is a damn animal and should be locked in a cage!”
I gasp, anger rushing to the surface hot and fast. Christopher steps around me. “Hey, who the hell are you calling an animal, asshole!”
Cade puts out his arm and holds him back. “Christopher, take your sister downstairs.” When he doesn’t obey, Cade loses his patience, and shouts, “Now!”
Everyone jumps at the command, including Henry and his father. Christopher picks up Ruthie, and, seeing how worried she is, I try to give her a reassuring smile before they disappear down the stairs.
Silence fills the room and the air seems to drop in temperature. My heart starts to pound wildly when Cade takes a menacing step toward the man. I put my hand on his arm in warning but he either doesn’t care or doesn’t notice. “If I were you, I’d remember that your kid is here, because I’m warning you right now if something like that comes out of your mouth again, kid or not, I will knock you on your ass.” The man swallows nervously and backs up as Cade remains in his personal space.
“Now I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen here. My kid is not apologizing to yours.” My heart comes to a sudden stop at hearing him call Ruthie his. “And we are not paying a cent of your medical bills. I taught her to do what she did today because your son has been pushing her around. So I hope, for his sake, he learned his lesson. Because if he even so much as makes her shed one more goddamn tear, I will make sure she breaks a different part of his body, then after she’s done kicking his ass, I’m going to come to your house and kick your ass!” The kid shirks back looking scared spit-less and his father doesn’t look much better. “Now get the hell out of my house before I throw you out!”
This time Mr. Winkleman is smart enough to back off. He tries to keep his composure as he and Henry scurry out the door.
Cade watches them get into their car and waits until they drive away before slamming the door. “Asshole.” He turns around to see me staring at him with a big, silly smile on my face. “What?”
My kid. Before I can say anything, Ruthie and Christopher come rushing in from their spot halfway down the stairs, where they were clearly eavesdropping.
Ruthie catapults herself at Cade and he catches her easily, sweeping her up in his arms. “Did you mean it?” she asks with a hopeful smile.
Cade looks back at her confused. “Mean what?”
“You talled me your tid. Did you mean it?”
Realization dawns in his eyes, and by his expression I’m not sure if he knew he said it or is just realizing he said it now. He glances at Christopher and me while Ruthie waits for him to answer. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dying to know his answer too.
He looks back at her hopeful expression and says something that sends warmth exploding through my heart, “Yeah, kid, I meant it.”
“I knew you woved me,” she replies with a big smile before wrapping her arms around his neck. “I wuv you too, big guy. A whole wot.”
I watch so many emotions cross his handsome face, too many for me to even name, but just seeing any emotion from him makes me happy.
I glance over at Christopher next to me, and he steps back nervously. “Don’t even think about kissing me again.”
I smile and step away, but then swiftly turn back and plant a quick one right on his cheek.
“Oh come on, Faith! What is it with you?” he replies grumpily, wiping off his cheek.
Giggling, I ignore his grumbling and grab Ruthie from Cade. “Come on, honey, let’s get you ready for bed.”
After she says her goodnights to everyone I take her upstairs and tuck her in. The entire time she has a radiant smile on her face, which brings a matching one to mine. As I bend down to kiss her forehead, she wraps her arms around my neck tightly, “I wuv you, Faif, and I wuv ouwr family.”
My heart warms and I feel my throat clog with emotion. “Me too, Ruthie, all of you are the best things that ever happened to me.” Giving her one last kiss, I walk out of her room and head downstairs into the living room.
Cade sits on the couch, hunched over the coffee table, typing on his laptop. When I see no sign of Christopher and realize he went to bed, I start toward him. He looks up and braces himself just before I launch myself at him. I wrap my arms around his neck and give him no time to register what I’m about to do before I attack his sexy mouth.
Growling, he immediately takes control of the kiss, like always. His mouth is firm and demanding, yet gentle. Our tongues slide together in perfect harmony and everything falls away around us like it always does, as if we are the only two people left on this earth. I know it will always be like this because he is my one. The one who gave me my first kiss, and gave my body the only pleasure it’s ever known, and I will fight to make him my last. He is my dark angel and the man I love with my whole heart.
His hands move from my hips to cup my ass and he brings me snug against his erection. I whimper and he lets out a tortured groan before pulling away. Our foreheads rest against each other while we catch our breaths.
“What the hell was that for?” he asks roughly.
“You sticking up for Ruthie like that makes me want to do all sorts of naughty things to you.”
His eyes turn a shade darker and he gives my ass a squeeze before trailing his lips down my throat. “Jesus, Red, if that’s what gets you hot, I’ll go kick everyone’s ass and let you watch.”
I giggle and rip his hat off his head, threading my fingers through his hair while he continues his delicious assault down my throat. “Everything you do makes me hot. Even when you’re moody and brooding I still think you’re sexy,” I tease breathlessly.
“You’re the sexy one, baby.” He trails his mouth lower and finds my puckered nipple through my thin tank top. When he nips it sharply between his teeth I moan and grind myself against his erection.
Letting out a low growl, he lifts my hips away from him and swiftly slips his hand inside my shorts and under my panties. I whimper when he immediately finds my swollen clit and starts teasing it skillfully with his finger.
“Jesus, look how fucking wet you are already.”
“I’m like this whenever you’re around me,” I tell him breathlessly, my heart starting to pound fast and hard as he takes my body to a searing temperature in a matter of seconds.
I grind against his touch, seeking more of him. We haven’t gone past this point but I’m ready to. I’m ready for him. “I want more, Cade, I want you,” I whimper desperately.
He groans. “I know, Red, me too, but not yet. I have plans in place for that and I’m not taking you on the fucking couch, but I’ll give you more, baby, if you want it.” He slides his finger to my aching entrance, hovering just on the outside as he waits for approval.
I nod my permission, then gasp as he wastes no time slowly sliding one finger in me until it’s as deep as it can go. He groans and stills, waiting to see if I want him to pull back.
I keep my gaze trained on his and shake my head. “Don’t stop.”
He starts thrusting his finger in and out of me with sure strokes, his intense gaze staying trained on mine the entire time. I bite my lip to keep from crying out, and my fingers bite into his bare shoulders as he brings my body to highs I never knew was possible until him.
I watch his jaw flex and see need burning in his own eyes. Without thinking twice, I slide one of my hands down his chest while the other keeps a firm grip on his shoulder. Just as I start to slip it under his waistband, he moves his hand from my hip and grabs my wrist. He stills his other hand, keeping his finger buried deep inside of me.
“You don’t have to do that, Red,” he breathes out roughly, his chest heaving as he restrains himself.
“I want to,” I tell him truthfully. “Let me touch you too.” Seeing the truth in my gaze, he loosens his grip and allo
ws my hand to slip past his waistband. I immediately come into contact with his erection and realize he isn’t wearing underwear. We both groan as I grasp him, my fingers barely able to wrap fully around his erection.
Feeling him in my hand brings no shame or ugly memories, only the good ones. The way it filled and stretched me that one night so long ago, bringing me pleasure in a way I didn’t know my body was capable of feeling.
I start stroking him from base to tip, keeping my grip firm. He hisses out a breath through clenched teeth and pumps himself into my hand. “Fuck, baby, your hand feels so fucking good.”
I watch in fascination and revel at the feel of him; so smooth, yet hard… I gasp then moan when he starts thrusting his finger in and out of me again. I try to not let myself be completely swept away in the pleasure so I can still focus my rhythm on him, but god it’s hard not to. Especially when he seems to always know just where to touch and how much pressure to give.
He adjusts the position of his hand so his palm slides against my clit with each thrust of his fingers. Fire begins to spread through my body and I drop my forehead on to his with a moan, “Oh god, that feels so good.”
My hips begin moving in rhythm with his touch, all the while trying to keep the pace of my hand on his cock. When I see pre-cum leak over the top, I swirl it around the smooth tip.
He releases a low growl and starts fucking my hand while his finger speeds up its own delicious assault. “I can’t fucking wait, Red, until it’s my cock filling this tight, hot pussy of yours.”
I whimper, “I want that so bad too. I need to feel you inside of me again.”
“Soon, baby, I promise.”
My stomach muscles begin to tighten in anticipation with my climax, and he knows it. Raising the hand he has on my hip, he cups my breast and pinches my stiff nipple through my thin tank top. The sensation shoots to my clit and sends me over the edge.
Cade crushes his mouth to mine, inhaling my cries, and continues to draw out my pleasure. Through all the incredible sensations tearing through me, I feel him cover my hand with his own and help me keep my momentum on him.
I feel him start to pulse and know he’s close. “Come with me,” I whimper against his mouth then bite down on his lip.
“Fuck!” he growls just before I feel the first stream of warm semen spill on my hand. We both inhale one another’s cries and moans until every bit of pleasure spills from us.
Eventually, I float back down into reality, my body feeling limp and satisfied as our foreheads rest on one another while catching our breaths.
He slips his hand out of my shorts a moment later and I gasp when he sticks his finger in his mouth, sucking my arousal off of it. He groans in ecstasy then presses a deep, hard kiss to my mouth.
“Sit back for a minute, baby.”
When I do, he keeps his one hand around mine where I still hold him, then reaches behind him and pulls his shirt off. My eyes roam over his lean and powerful chest as he begins wiping our hands clean. I take in every defined line and hard curve before focusing on his nipple rings.
Oh lord, I really like those things; this man is seriously all sorts of sexy.
“Keep looking at me like that, baby and I will not be able to stop myself from sinking into your tight, warm body right here.”
I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment for getting caught, and then the most amazing thing happens. He chuckles, bringing a full smile with it, and it’s absolutely stunning. It softens his features and reminds me of the one time I got to see it before—back in Iraq. It vanishes quickly when he sees me grinning at him like a fool.
“What?” he grumbles uncomfortably, knowing exactly what I’m smiling about.
I frame his face between both of my hands and press a soft kiss to his mouth. “You should smile more often, Walker, not only because it looks good on you but because it’s good for your soul.”
He watches me for a moment, his intense eyes boring into mine. “You’re good for my soul, Red.”
My heart skips a beat, his precious words doing so many wonderful things to my heart. Before I can think too much about it, I decide to tell him the truth, to tell him what I have always known. “I love you, Cade Walker.”
His body tenses under me and alarm flashes in his eyes. It is exactly the reaction I expected. Before he can say anything, I slap my hand over his mouth, catching him off guard again. “I don’t want you to say anything, because I know you will probably say something stupid, like ‘love doesn’t exist’, and that will just make me mad.”
He quirks a brow and I feel his lips twitch under my palm. Removing my hand, I cup the side of his strong jaw and rest my forehead on his. “I didn’t tell you so you would say it back, I told you because it’s the god’s honest truth and I don’t want to keep it in anymore. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last two years it’s that life is too precious for us to hold back the things we feel. I thought I fell in love with you in that first week in Iraq, but I wasn’t sure because I thought it was impossible to fall in love with someone in that short amount of time.” I pause and swallow thickly, my throat starting to clog with emotion with what I’m about to say next. “But when I was dragged down to that cell and thought I was going to watch you die in front of me, I knew then, with every part of my soul, that I loved you. And I meant what I said down there, Cade. I didn’t care what they did to me, I would have died for you.”
His face blurs in front of me as tears begin to rush down my cheeks, but not before I see his eyes darken with so much turmoil it makes my heart hurt. I feel his breathing turn heavy as he struggles to hold in whatever he’s feeling. Before I know it, his mouth is devouring mine with an intensity that steals my breath and heals more of the damaged parts of my soul.
He pulls back a long minute later, but keeps his forehead against mine and frames my face firmly between his hands. “Never again, Red,” he chokes out through clenched teeth, “you hear me? We will never be put in that fucking position again. I will protect you until the day I take my last fucking breath.”
I smile, my heart feeling at peace. It may not be ‘I love you’—not yet—but it does sound like forever and right now that is enough for me.
CHAPTER 25
Cade
Friday evening I’m pulling up to the house, after dropping Ruthie off with Sawyer and Grace for the night. My heart starts to pound and my palms begin to sweat as I get out of the truck, which makes me feel like a complete pussy.
I never thought the day would come that I would be going on a fucking date, but then again, I never thought I would ever meet someone like Faith. I didn’t think anyone like her existed. Someone who always takes care of everyone else and never asks for anything in return. She deserves to have nice things done for her, she deserves more than me, but fuck if I can stay away. I just can’t. I know it’s something I should do, and should have done long ago, but every time I think it’s best to pull back, panic grips my chest so tight that I can’t fucking breathe. I need her in the way I need air, or I won’t survive.
Shaking my head, I walk into the house and come to a sudden stop when I see her in the kitchen talking on the phone, to who I’m assuming is Katelyn, about shopping for an outfit for Christopher tomorrow.
My cock jerks at the sight of her. She’s wearing a short, green, strapless sundress that flows loosely from her body, with sexy, cream lace edging the bottom. It teases the top of her slender thighs and shows off her long, smooth legs that are encased in brown cowgirl boots, which ends just below her knees. I’m dying to feel those perfect legs wrapped around my hips while I drive myself into her.
As if suddenly feeling my presence, she turns around, and her deep, green eyes that are even more pronounced from the color of her dress flare for a brief second, from what I’m assuming is the expression on my face. She gives me a soft smile that hits me like a punch to the chest. A faint blush stains her cheeks, matching her deep red hair, which is tousled in loose waves around her shoulders.
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br /> “Um, Katelyn, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She hangs up and turns to put the phone on the counter. “Hi, I hope I…”
By the time she turns back around I’m already in front of her. Cutting off her reply, I pick her up off the floor and swallow her surprised gasp by kissing the hell out of her. She releases the sexiest fucking whimper just before she wraps her arms and legs around me, and kisses me back with a desperation that matches my own. I set her down on the counter then rip my mouth from hers and start trailing my lips down the slender column of her throat.
“Mmmm. I was going to ask if what I was wearing is okay, but I will assume by your reaction that it is.”
I growl. “You look fucking sexy, Red, like always.” I begin sliding my hand up the inside of her silky thigh, under her dress, until I reach the damp satin between her legs.
“Oh god!” She drops her head back against the cupboard behind her while my knuckle strokes up and down her wet center. Jesus, I can’t believe how fast she gets wet for me. Her whimpers and moans fuel me with a need so strong that I swear my cock is about to explode, just from touching her. Yeah, I’m making her come before we leave. I start trailing my mouth lower, across the swells of her perfect tits, when a loud bang draws me up fast.
“Oh shit!” I swiftly remove my hand and turn around to see Christopher covering his eyes and turning around. Red gasps in horror and starts pushing me away, even though I’m standing in front of her, doing nothing.
“Oh man, I’m so sorry. I uh, I just came back to grab my iPod, don’t mind me. Carry on,” he spews nervously as he bolts down the stairs.
“Oh my god, oh my god. Please tell me that didn’t just happen.”
I would find the whole situation amusing if Faith didn’t sound so upset. I turn around to see her expression full of guilt and horror.
“Oh my god, they are going to take him away from me, I know it. Oh no, I don’t want to lose them…”
“Whoa, baby, calm down. It isn’t that big of a deal.”
